Researcher, 50 % - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Full title: Project researcher (50%) in the international NordForsk project Making it Home: An Aesthetic Methodological Contribution to the Study of Migrant Home-Making and Politics of Integration - MaHoMe

The project researcher position is a part of Making it Home: An Aesthetic Methodological Contribution to the Study of Migrant Home-Making and Politics of Integration - MaHoMe, a four-year research project funded by NordForsk with Professor Fran Lloyd (Kingston University, UK) as PI.

The position starts on September 1, 2021 (or upon agreement) and is based at the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University. This is a fixed-term employment.

Project Description

The MaHoMe project directly addresses migration and integration challenges by examining how migrants make and make sense of home amidst the complex and divergent politics of integration in three host societies: UK, Denmark and Sweden between 2010 and 2020. MaHoMe’s multi-disciplinary approach, using multi-sited ethnographic methods, combines narrative policy analysis, visual ethnography, and participatory aesthetic methods. Our novel approach analyses data on comparative-historical perspectives on integration policy-making and stories of migrant home-making, and adds participatory aesthetic methods focusing on migrant contemporary cultural expressions through visual imagery and soundscapes derived from smartphones in order to empirically engage with migrant experiences and expressions of home and home-making. The collaborative research processes and outputs (an interactive digital platform, an aesthetic methodological toolbox, a docu-fictive film, publications, a policy recommendation document and a touring exhibition) are designed for maximum societal impact, ensuring engagement and dissemination to a wide range of stakeholders, policy makers, and audiences.

For further information on the research project, see https://mahomeproject.com

Duties:

The project researcher is expected to conduct 50% research in the course of two years (September 2021 to August 2023). The successful candidate is expected to work independently, but also to collaborate with other researchers within the project. S/he will contribute to MaHoMe empirically by working on the Swedish case in cooperation with Dr Eleonora Narvselius, the local PI.

The researcher is expected to:

• - select and analyze performative art works and films by migrant artists who have addressed the topic of home and home-making over the period of 2010-2020.
• - together with the local PI participate in collection of individual interviews with different groups of respondents in Sweden, Denmark and the UK.
• - participate in the project workshops, planning meetings and research seminars during the employment period.
• - contribute to the final publications of MaHoMe by writing two articles, one containing analysis of the film and art material from Sweden, and the other (in co-authorship with the local PI) inquiring into the collected interview material.
• - conduct his/her research mainly at the workplace in Lund.

Eligibility

Eligibility for employment as a project researcher is restricted to applicants with a PhD degree or an international degree deemed equivalent. Applicants who have yet to complete their PhDs are welcome to apply on the condition that they will receive their PhD degree no later than on the first day of employment as project researcher. The ability to conduct research independently and to participate in research collaboration is crucial for the employment.

Qualifications

The candidate must have demonstrated excellent skills in academic written English. Good command of Swedish and Danish languages, both orally and in writing, is a requirement. Another requirement is documented experience of the candidate’s academic studies of film and art. Combination of academic interest in film and arts with focus on migration in Swedish and/or Danish contexts is most preferable. Experience of ethnographic interviewing and application of ethnography in one’s own research is a merit. A personal interest in or practical experience with migration and refugee issues would be highly valued.

Assessment

The grounds for assessment are a good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research. The main criterion for the employment is research expertise. In all other respects, the assessment will be based on the requirements specified for the post. Only applicants whose research and previous work could strengthen the research team and the project as a whole will be considered for the position as a project researcher.

The application must include:

• A signed cover letter of no more than 1500 words including a statement describing how the candidate qualifies to conduct the research specified above and how s/he expects to contribute to the projects.
• A signed complete CV and attested* copy of the PhD degree.
• A list of publications (including DOI, ISBN or ISSN numbers).
• One or two article-length writing samples (approximately 8000-10 000 words), at least one of which should be single-authored.

*with signature, name in block letters and telephone number of two people who have no conflicts of interest with the applicant and who can confirm that the copy corresponds with the original.

NB! The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions above, that all documents are scanned (as a single PDF file) and that the file has reached the University through the e-recruitment portal no later than the application deadline.